The Earl Carroll Theater on Sunset Blvd, just east of Vine, aka “Most Beautiful Girl in the World” opened on Christmas Day, 1938 with a cast of 60 girls and the most dazzling and star-studded event Hollywood had yet seen. The place featured 6200 feet of blue and gold neon tubing, and 30-foot columns of light flanking the stage. For the investors and members of the inner circle, a $1000 membership free guaranteed a lifetime cover charge and a reserved seat. First-nighters included Clark Gable & Carole Lombard, Marlene Dietrich, Tyrone Power, Sonja Henie, Bob Hope, Betty Grable, Jack Benny, Claudette Colbert, Daryl Zannuck, Errol Flynn, David O. Selznick, Louis B Mayer, Jack Warner, WC Fields, Jimmy Durante, and dozens more.

Earl Carroll Theater stage

Rare day shot of Earl Carroll Theater

For more information, see: Spotlight on the Earl Carroll theater.